


Years of Lost (Redux)

by Kira_Darkness



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempt at Drama, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, F/F, Not Beta Read, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Please help me I don't know tags, Post-Volume 2 (RWBY) AU, Secret Identity, Volume 3 Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:21:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26162569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kira_Darkness/pseuds/Kira_Darkness
Summary: At the Fall of Vale, Ruby Rose and Cinder Fall were proclaimed dead, the Grimm menace vanished, and Team RWBY disbanded.Ten years after the Fall, Ruby has found herself as the protector of a small town called Hirano under a new identity, working to track down Cinder. But when a newly formed Team RWBY arrives with the same objective, Ruby must face the past that she left behind.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 8
Kudos: 83





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi.
> 
> Wow, lame. Good job me.
> 
> Welcome to my first story - on Archive of Our Own, I mean. As you can tell by the tags (which are overwhelming), this story was originally posted on Fanfiction, and I've decided to bring it to Ao3 as well. This is a rewrite from something I started six years ago, of which said rewrite started three years ago, and since then has become my first major piece of writing since then (if that makes since - I mean sense), so I'm pretty rusty. I love RWBY, and I want to do something for it, and I can only hope that, whoever comes across this, you enjoy it.

The forest was winding and thick, rising tall and spread wide, covering the sky in a sea of green. The sun found little room to peak through, leaving specks of light to filter periodically in the perpetually dark space.

Branches and roots twisted together in their respective spaces, creating a complicated maze that made traversal difficult for the average traveler. Legends even spoke of a haunting that covered the length of the forest, resulting in its twisted appearance. Anyone who had dared travel was never seen again, their bodies lost to the fold of trees and overgrown grass.

Ruby Rose, however, was not an ordinary traveler. She leaped from one branch to another, using her momentum to swing from the long arms whenever needed, and exercising careful balance to keep herself aloft the tangled graveyard of below.

She used her keen eyesight to scout ahead, planning the optimal route that would result in the least noise. Her eyes caught a constriction not far out, pierced by a beam of light that reflected off into the distance.

Ruby closed the gap quickly, keeping a hand close by the sword attached to her hip. It proved useful in cutting away rotting obstacles that had taken hold of the supposed "haunted" forest. While Ruby believed the townsfolk took the legends spoken of the forest too far, she was equally glad the rumors spread as far as they did.

She approached the rotted brown landmass: a tangled web too intricate to be made naturally. It was constructed carefully, suspended high enough for the mid-afternoon sun to flash directly onto it for any casual observer to see.

Coiled deep in its roots, a mangled body was stretched, also looking as if it was crucified. Roots were dug deep into flesh, bulging the skin if not outright poking through it. Dried blood decorated the deadwood in a horrifying picture, too perfect to be left to die.

Ruby grimaced, her hand tightening around the hilt of her weapon. She found what she needed. Her free hand reached into her loose jeans.

The leaves rustled. Ruby bristled. The logs were too thick for the wind to easily pass through this deep. Something was following her, stalking her, waiting for her, and she sprung the trap.

There was a loud tear as the effigy in front of her was burst apart. Ruby barely had time to look horrified before a glistening claw lunged at her. She ducked, listened as the trunk behind her was ripped open. She popped her sword and sliced.

The creature howled and stepped back, blood flying. Ruby chased, following blade first. It came in with another claw, freshly reddened. It screamed against the flat side of her weapon. Ruby rode it, plunging the sword deep into the neck of the Beowolf. It roared, swinging around wildly. She went with the momentum, turning it into her sword, and pulled.

The slice was clean, severing the beast at the neck. There was an audible shiver, a loud squelch, and the Beowolf fell, disintegrating before it reached the ground.

Ruby cleaned her sword of the viscous liquid, but didn't sheath it. She held it tight, hovering in front of her body. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and let her aura pulse.

She heard the wind, as little as it was, the sun's rays as it struck the leaves, and the townsfolk one hundred miles out. The energy around her froze the very ground she stood on, keeping her feet in place. Finally, Ruby breathed, and she was back, nothing around her but her thoughts.

She ignored the prick in the back of her head and pulled out her scroll, keeping her sword close as she dialed the familiar number.

"Scarlet to Base, come in," she said. "Scarlet to Base, come in."

A moment of silence, coiling around her.

"I read you, Scarlet. Give me the Sitrep," came the stonewall voice of her superior.

"I found the agent, Christian," Ruby said, looking up at the remains of the effigy that was designed to trap her. "He was strung up by roots – purposeful, but the looks of it. I was attacked by a Beowolf as soon as I approached. I'm sending you my analysis."

There was a hum of confirmation. "You might be getting close."

"Or I'm being led astray."

Another hum, small this time. "Knowing Cinder, that's always a possibility."

Ruby stepped forward, scanning over the remains of the trap. There were no fresh blood splatters from the corpse, only bits of bark and limbs scattered about. The body was more of a husk than a corpse, despite having been only MIA for a week.

A week was long enough though, given the intricately designed horror attraction the scout was left in. Cinder had gotten very good at creating these attractions to lead any would-be Huntsmen and Huntresses and eventually trap them in similar states of existence, or rather non-existence.

"She's gotten detailed in her effigies," Ruby murmured.

"We've been after her for almost a decade," Christian added. "With the amount of resources we've put into finding her, well… I wish I could say otherwise."

Her commander's voice faded into the ether, leaving Ruby to stare at the remnants for a moment longer.

It was absurd, the amount of time spent "chasing a ghost," as many of the higher-ups from the Vale Bureau of Intelligence put it. To the populace at large, Cinder Fall perished 10 years ago at the Fall of Beacon, the progenitor of months of violence that resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians, Huntsmen, and Huntresses alike.

The amount of resources spent keeping Cinder's supposed existence a secret equaled, if not rivaled that of this operation in the first place.

"They're not going to like this," Christian's voice echoed sadly through the scroll.

"No, they're not. We're getting close though, we have to be," Ruby said, voice becoming strained in confidence and frustration. "It's too much of a coincidence that the legends about a cursed forest near Hirano popped up only recently."

"I'm not disagreeing with you Ruby, but the higher-ups aren't going to see it that way. They don't know your stake in this."

Ruby's heart dipped at the reminder, and it took her willpower to not drop her sword and run a hand through her matted locks, their red-tipped luster fading over the years.

"I know Chris," she paused, exhaling quietly. "If they did, I'd probably be hauled off to jail. I'm supposed to be dead too." A humorless chuckle slipped through her teeth, freezing the gum line.

A stretch of silence followed, prompting Ruby to extend her aura again to ignore the tremor in her heart.

There was a shuffle on the other end of the call, and a nearly imperceptible sigh that Ruby had learned it was Christian's way of discarding built-up stress.

"I'll convince them to give us more time." Christian's voice remained smooth like freshly compacted cement. "They know as well as we do that she can't be allowed to roam free."

Ruby murmured a concentrated affirmative, not trusting her voice on the matter.

"We'll get her," he said with conviction. "I'll analyze the data you sent me. As far as right now is concerned, your mission is over for the day. I'll contact you when I learn something new."

Ruby let a small smile form. "Thank you, Christian."

"Anytime Ruby. Base out."

The call went dead, a small hum signifying the truth buzzing in Ruby's ears. She dropped the phone back in her pocket and looked around, surveying the damage. The corpse didn't even smell rotten. It was bland, dry, nothing more than a remnant.

It was undoubtedly Cinder's forté, burning away the bones from the inside, bubbling the blood until it popped, searing the muscles from the inside. The torturous pain, throat destroying screams, hours upon hours of being Cinder's plaything.

A heavy gasp escaped Ruby, rearing around to slam her in her chest. Her head began to throb, pulsing like a war drum, trailing down her body.

A distant pain began forming in the back of her right eye, crawling inward. Her hand went to her face, resting her palm over her clenched eye. She sucked in a deep breath, letting the wave of air cool her tenses nerves. After a moment, the pain retracted, like time had reversed, before vanishing entirely.

Ruby exhaled a shaky breath, gripping her sword tighter. She closed her eyes, losing herself in the forest, in her heartbeat, as it thumped along, off to wherever, she didn't know, but she followed it anyway.

Sending one last look at the remains of yet another agent, and a fleeting thought towards his family, she turned away, heading back towards Hirano.

* * *

"Ms. Eiha!"

Ruby paused in her stride. Not two steps into Hirano, she was ambushed by a well-dressed woman, a microphone clutched tight enough in her grip that Ruby expected it to snap in half any minute. Behind her, another woman held a camera aloft on her shoulder, the reflecting lens spinning and whirling, likely trying to get a close up on her face.

"Word has it you trekked into the Haunted Hirano Forest earlier today," the lady said, beginning the opening motions of moving the mic towards the interviewee in question. "Do you have any questions about the legends surrounding this forest?"

Ruby resisted the urge to push her hair behind her ear, keeping her stance solid, save for a slight smile that the camera holder was quick to catch. "I do not, but I do continue to urge the residents of Hirano to exercise caution in regards to any legend that appears. One can never be too careful about the validity, but we must be equally sure to not let our guard down."

The reporter's face lit up in a dazzling smile as she pulled the microphone back, spinning to face the camera.

"Excellent words from our Savior of Hirano here, Ms. Scarlet Eiha, who continues to watch over us like a mother would her children!"

Ruby's stomach swirled uncomfortably. She kept her lips pursed, unwilling to comment on the analogy.

There was a momentary pause before the reporter faced Ruby again, mic once again inches from her face.

"Do you also have anything to say in regards to the suspected appearance of Team RWBY sometime soon?"

Ruby's mouth opened to reply, when the question hit her like the full speed of an Atlas train. Her mouth fell the rest of the distance, no noise coming out. All the noise that would have been expelled was swirling in her head, creating a maelstrom of incoherent thoughts, coalescing into a single, painful lightning bolt to her heart.

"What?"

* * *

Deep in the woods, Blake Belladonna scouted from her view in the trees. An ugly frown permeated her face at the entanglement of branches that spread for miles, so far that even her enhanced vision was having trouble picking out a clear path.

A noise below her drew her irritation, a small exchange of words she realized was quickly beginning to escalate. In one swift movement, Blake was on the ground again, retracing her steps through the mangled woods, the voices rising faster than the distance she had left to cover.

Blake burst through the bushes, ignoring the uncomfortable mix of hot and cold that enveloped her body

"How is it that you've always managed to get us lost?" Weiss Schnee questioned in an accusatory tone that bit the trees around them in a layer of frost.

"I find it funny you're blaming me when you said you knew the area," Yang Xiao Long snarked, and the earth trembled slightly under her feet.

"If you actually used your brain for once in your life maybe you'd understand that I don't know everything," Weiss returned, keeping her tone consistent with her glare: low and heavy.

"That's obvious. How's that job at the VBI by the way? Did they throw you out yet for your incompetence?"

The temperature dropped. Weiss was seething, her eyes narrowed into thin slits that highlighted the silver shine behind her blue eyes. Yang was nonplussed by the sudden shift in Weiss' eyes, and stepped back, her lilac orbs suddenly heavy and foggy.

Blake opted to step in, literally, slamming her foot down on a thick branch that had deteriorated over the years. The sharp snap pulled the arguing duo, as well as their male companion who stood several feet away, rubbing his shoulder.

Blake straightened her posture, leveling her stare at the two women. "I still can't find anything too far out. Recca, you think you could take point for a bit?"

The male in the back perked up, straightening his trench coat. "Of course Blake," he said, sent a small smile to the three girls, and darted off, leaving behind a trailing whistle.

She turned to Weiss, careful to not notice the flickering silver as it faded away. "Weiss, did the VBI say why Hirano's forests were so thick?"

Weiss' shoulders fell from their taut state, and she sighed, running a hand through her shoulder-length hair. Yang appeared to deflate too, hair flattening and dimming enough that the area around them fell equally in light.

"There was only a passing rumor that the forest had recently become haunted," she said, waving her hand. "Even then, that started through the population, not from any government official."

"You think this could be Cinder's doing?" Yang jumped in, eyes focused solely on Blake. She crossed her arms tight around her waist, gripping a torn red cloth that was wrapped around her heavy backpack.

Blake held up a disarming hand. "We can't be certain. For now, we should focus on reaching Hirano and going over what we know," she said, trailing her hand over towards Weiss before slowly lowering it. "Until then, we keep our ears close to the ground and our eyes out for any trouble."

Yang couldn't help the snort that escaped. "Yeah, like we can see anything in this damned place." Weiss' head snapped towards the blonde, mouth curtailing to open, when Blake slammed her foot again.

"Yang, go catch up with Recca," the Faunus ordered. "He's quick, but if this forest is haunted, we'll need to work _together_."

Yang and Weiss dipped into silence, the awkward temperature mix evaporating to the natural heat of the sun. Yang nodded after a moment, brushing past Blake without a spare glance back at either of them before disappearing into the brush. Blake kept her eyes locked on the flowing red cloth before it too vanished into the treeline.

Her attention snapped back to Weiss, who held her ground, leveling a glare at Blake. The air around Blake chilled, caressing her skin and eliciting a small trail of goosebumps around the length of her arm.

"Let's go," she said curtly before following Yang, legs straight with each step.

When her presence had vanished, Blake let the warmth wash over her. It did nothing to heal the pierce in her heart, having to watch two of her closest friends rail at each other's throats, and there was nothing she could do to calm either of them.

Blake didn't believe in God, but she sent out a prayer anyway, a prayer that they could find some solace in this last mission and put their heavy hearts to rest once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ey, you guys survived the first chapter. Drinks (of the non-alcoholic variety) are on me. I know it's only the first chapter, but don't be afraid to leave a comment. If you enjoy it, tell me why, and if you have a criticism, don't be afraid to leave it. I really want to get better at writing, and I know that my ability isn't the best, especially after three years. I'm rusty, plain and simple, and I used to have a complex where it was difficult to take advice, so please, let me know.
> 
> Oh, also, updates will generally be slow (outside of the first four chapters), as I'm still writing up some stuff (both major pieces and smaller scenes), college is about to begin, and edits are an issue for me because I don't have a beta reader, and I like editing at 3:00 a.m.
> 
> Anyway, that's it from me for now, have a good one. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Round two, electric boogaloo. I will never tire of saying that. I'm a child in an adult's body.
> 
> Hey, so, anyway, forgot to mention this, as I always do. Literally, even on FF.net I managed to forget mentioning this until the second chapter. Woot for consistency!
> 
> So, by the tags, this is a canon divergence of post-volume two, going into an AU, if that makes sense. For clarification, this story started back in 2014, before volume 2 even came out. I was still working on it while the episodes were airing, so a lot of my original planning for this story materialized after only one volume.
> 
> Since then, obviously a lot has happened. Thankfully, most of my original plans actually work somewhat well with what was introduced in volume 2, so this story's timeline is (to a degree) canon compliant until the end of volume 2, with some purposeful changes that you'll eventually see. After that, nearly completely AU. Just wanted to get that out there before a lot of plot details are revealed and you're wondering what type of substances I've stabbed into my throat - yes I know what I said.

Scaled high in the apartment complex, where she could watch the world pass by her and be gifted a solemn moment to not brush against dark, haunting thoughts, Ruby found extreme difficulty in performing that action.

She tried pacing, she attempted breathing exercises, even falling back to simply listening to her heartbeat, but her traitorous organ was in as much disarray as she was, pulsing erratically enough to kill a man.

Ruby clutched her burning chest, leaning with her free hand against the wall wide glass of her apartment. She almost begged outright to not be given such a prestigious luxury, Savior of Hirano or not.

Alas, when you single-handedly save an entire city from what was supposed to be an extinct race of monsters that had plagued Remnant since time immemorial, favoritism was bound to creep in.

At this current moment, Ruby was begrudgingly grateful for the space she was provided, because her body was on a warpath within itself, still trying to digest the information the reporter had laid on her.

A dull throb began to emanate from the back of her eye again, resonating through her nerves and eliciting an angered growl from the girl. She hissed, backing from the window and sprinting towards the bathroom, throwing the light on.

Ruby barely caught her reflection, surrounded by a small contingent of rose petals. Her skin was pale, almost alabaster; odd, since she spent a good amount of time outside. Small scars carved into her face, memories of past mistakes, highlighted further by the discoloration of her skin. Her hair was becoming glued to her face, and what left of the red streaks in her hair had dimmed to appear more brown in sunlight. Her brown eyes remained vibrant in contrast to her rapidly declining appearance.

Her hands scoured the medicine cabinet, fingers twitching in tandem with the pulsing behind her eye. She grasped a familiar white bottle and yanked two ovular tablets out and downed them with haste, pulling a small cup of water from the faucet to wash it down.

Ruby gasped as the water trailed down her throat, clearing her airways. She dipped her hands under the running water, gathering a small handful before splashing it into her face. She stayed there, periodically splashing her face until her the chills in her body and pain in her eye began to recede. Once it was gone, Ruby straightened her posture, took a deep breath, and faced the mirror.

Color had returned to her skin, improvements visible by the pink that was scrawling over her lips. Her hair was still matted – not much could be done about that outside of a shower – and her eyes continued to shine.

Ruby gulped hard. She began raising her hands from the sink slowly, fingers twisting and clenching. Her shoulders began to shake, vibrating down to the tips of her fingers, and her hands froze midair. She cursed herself for her hesitation. Ruby clicked her tongue, searching the bathroom for a moment. Her eyes landed on the pill bottle again, and in a flurry of rose petals the cap flew open and she gazed down at the contents.

Only four tablets left, Ruby noticed sourly. She carefully closed the bottle and set it out of reach. She turned her gaze to the mirror again, staring hard at her illustrious brown eyes, and nodded. Her hands, noticeably more stable, covered her face and blackened her vision. After a moment, she removed her hands and stared hard at the mirror.

Mismatched eyes of red and silver stared her down, visibly dimmer than the brown from before. Ruby gently set the contacts down next to the pill bottle. She gripped the edge of the sink with one hand while the other glided up to her right eye, clasped the lid with two fingers, and pulled them apart.

Her red eye was pulsing on the underside, deep purple veins rippling at the edges of her sclera as it transferred blood to-and-fro. Ruby sighed, weight vanishing from her shoulders as he released her lid, blinking it back into focus before returning to the mirror.

Much like the veins, the blood-red of her iris penetrated her black pupil, and began what appeared the beginnings of a trio of jagged lines carving a path towards the center of her eye. Ruby shivered at the sight, but held her bile down, leaning further into the mirror, closing her silver eye for good measure.

The invasive design in her iris shivered imperceptibly, and Ruby followed suit, cursing to herself.

"I need to visit Doctor Randal later," she murmured, placing her contacts back in and cleaning up her sink.

At the corner of her vision, she caught sight of a picture taped to the edge of her mirror. She tried to ignore it, but the menagerie of colors had already gripped her sight, and she acquiesced, raising her gaze and found herself staring at it with fondness.

It was a picture of four girls, all cramped together as a means to fit into a small camera, based on the outstretched arm of one of them. Each of them had a smile on their face, some less enthused than others, but they all appeared genuinely happy, and it twisted Ruby's heart. Her eyes scanned over each of them, and her heart thrummed harder with each passing glance.

A blonde, toned woman, with eyes the deepest violet. One could get lost staring into their beauty, the vivid hues a gentle ocean of warmth and love.

A sparkling white-haired girl, with skin so pale she could be mistaken for a ghost. The color of her skin could shimmer in the sunlight, contrasting her cold, blue eyes, radiant as ice.

A black-haired girl in a bow and gleaming amber eyes always watchful, yet always protecting. Her frame resembled shyness, huddled towards the edge of the group hug. Her thin arms held the tiniest of scars, cleaned after years of thought-provoking journeys.

A short, black-haired girl, rims tipped a blushing red; silver eyes that never dimmed. Her cramped frame within the heaps of the others still exuberated excitement and an unflinching resolve.

Once upon a time, they were the best team at Beacon Academy, a shining beacon of perseverance and determination. Ten years ago, Ruby was the leader of this team, along with Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. Ten years ago, they believed they could conquer the world.

And now, the remnants of Team RWBY were supposedly visiting Hirano, ten years after their disbandment, ten years after the Fall.

The thought triggered Ruby's head to reel again, and she left the bathroom for the safety of her couch, collapsing onto it in a heap. Her thoughts began to spin, trying to piece together Team RWBY's appearance in Hirano.

A few ideas were scratched away quickly, but something kept sticking to her like a virus, draining away at her energy until she was worn out. What made her heart nearly pop was that they had figured out she was alive.

Granted, she had every right to be dead and deserved to be. Her body tingled with pain as she recalled the Fall of Vale, the blood that spilled on her hands. Ruby's body twitched. Her ears filled with a white noise, drowning out her silent pleas and replacing it with a shrill howl. Smoke clawed up her throat, piercing through her skin like a mountain climber trying to keep their balance. It left behind a cave that collapsed in on itself, trapping the air from escaping.

It took too long, Ruby thought, for her body to recover, wiping the haze of smoke away. She needed to stay off that train of thought. There was no way they knew she could be alive. Christian helped cover her tracks after the Fall, not to mention the aftermath confirming her death.

Christian.

Ruby almost jumped out off the couch as she scrambled to pull her scroll from her pocket, dialing the number hard enough she was afraid she'd crack the screen.

"Chris, you there?"

A pause.

"Yeah Ruby, what's up?" His tone was rife with confusion; not unwarranted since she didn't call him often like this.

Ruby had to make sure her breathing was under control before she asked him, "Do you know anything about Team RWBY visiting Hirano?"

Christian went silent, taking with him her ability to breathe. She could hear the ticking of the ornamental clock he had gotten her when she got the apartment. She almost believed the line went dead - hanging her on the question that held her at knifepoint.

"Christian?" she asked again, tensing her muscles at fear the knife would prick her skin.

"Yes, I did," he answered in a quiet voice. Ruby leaned deep into the couch. Her arm twitched at her side, a desire to raise itself if not from the intangible pressure that kept it held down.

"When were you going to tell me this?" she responded in an equal octave.

Christian answered back quicker this time. "When I had confirmation," he said. "I didn't want to worry you with information like this unless it was certain. You have my word, Ruby."

A weight greater than what Ozpin faced as Headmaster of Beacon was lifted off her chest. Her arm raised easily, combing through her hair and twiddling with her locks.

"Okay," she said through a small gasp. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he whispered. "I know it's difficult for you."

"Thank you."

He didn't respond again; she didn't expect him too. Over the years of their partnership, Christian understood when Ruby needed to collect herself. She gulped in a large puff of air and sat straighter.

"Do you have any idea why?"

"Cinder, probably," he said grimly. "Weiss has a job with the VBI, so it's likely she ascertained the information from them."

Ruby's eyed widened. "When did this happen?"

"Recently, if I had to guess," Christian mused. "I had heard there was a new hire, I didn't know it was her though."

"How could you not know it was a Schnee?" Ruby teased. "I'm surprised they didn't parade it through the whole building."

There was a hum of laughter on Christian's end, bringing a smile to Ruby's face.

"Hey, you can't blame me. I just sit in my man cave relaying information to you. I'm not even high up on the food chain."

"Why not though?" Ruby asked. "You used to lead a team of special operatives. With your skills, I would have put you in the Director's chair immediately."

"You know it's not like that Ruby," Christian explained in a low voice. "I wanted this job. I've done my time leading people. It's time for others to take the front."

The way Christian spoke left little room for Ruby to continue. She picked up the finality in the far-off way he answered: not quite there, as if reminiscing. She found herself doing that sometimes, fading out of reality for brief periods. Sometimes they were pleasant, and other times Ruby found herself staying awake through the night.

"Anyway, off of that," he continued after a moment, voice even again. "If it's true they're coming to Hirano, then considering Weiss' position in the VBI, as well as her history with Cinder, she was likely given information about Cinder's whereabouts."

 _So they aren't._ Ruby thought, allowing the claw that had begun to rewrap itself around her throat to loosen. She would still need to be careful.

"I'm probably going to need to interact with them as well," Ruby grumbled grimly.

Christian hummed an affirmative. "With your position as Savior of Hirano, most assuredly, yes."

Once more, Ruby found herself grateful for the spacious room and privacy, free to groan as loud as she wished. Christian humored her drama, drawing a humorless chuckle. Rub's lips quirked. The domineering presence that had encompassed her wasn't cleared away, but she was able to breathe without the worry of choking when she did.

"Thank you, Christian."

"Anytime Ruby," he returned. "I need to get going. Still have to analyze the data you sent. I'll get back to you soon."

"Sounds good Chris. See ya."

"See ya. Good luck," he said, and the line went dead.

Ruby laid back into the couch, immersing herself in the soft texture. Her eyes glued to the tiled ceiling of polished stone, scratches made purposely to provide it a rugged look while remaining pleasing to the eye.

Just outside and below, the muffled chorus of life continued to buzz on, unheeded of the looming danger of Cinder Fall, should her position be somewhere in the surrounding forest.

"Should," was probably the wrong word to use at this point. With Team RWBY's visit essentially confirmed between the reporter and Christian, all that was left was to pinpoint Cinder's exact location within the bulk of haunted trees.

Ruby's heart began to speed up. _This was it, wasn't it?_ She thought as she continued to gaze into the ceiling, before shooing the inevitable answer away. Her ears caught back on the activity going on outside the apartment. Stretching her hearing, she managed to pick up excited chittering as it climbed higher and higher, as well as a divergence in the direction the voices were heading, all the way towards the entrance to the city.

It seems Team RWBY had arrived.

* * *

Recca pulled himself from the carnage, sending one last look at the remains of the Hunstman before retreating to where the team was. Blake remained perched up in the tree, narrowed amber eyes scanning as far as the forest would allow her to, while Weiss and Yang stood below, watching opposite sides, their eyes never once crossing the other.

Recca resisted the urge to sigh. He wanted to say something, but it wasn't his place to comment. He hadn't seen what they had seen, experienced what they did. He was only accepted on this mission because he knew Hirano, growing up there with close friends. If Recca was to be trusted on anything related to these girls, he had to prove himself.

He cleared his throat, drawing the trio's attention. Blake jumped from the tree, landing in the middle solidly.

"The remains say he's been dead for a while, but the body is too fresh," Recca explained. "There's no way this was done naturally."

Blake held a hand to her chin, rubbing it contemplatively. Weiss stared past him with a calculated expression while Yang's face split into a frustrated snarl.

"It's Cinder, it has to be," the blonde seethed.

Recca ran a hand through his black hair, removing his shades in the process. "We don't want to jump to conclusions, Yang-"

Yang slammed her foot forward, activating her gauntlet as she threw a hand forward. "Don't finish that. I don't want to hear it. Only Cinder could do something like this."

Weiss appeared ready to speak, eyes narrowed in barely concealed annoyance, but Blake snapped her head back to the Schnee, staring at the girl through the ends of her vision. The white-haired girl complied, and even with the neutral expression, Recca could see the remnants of her anger in her eyes.

Nodding, Blake turned back around and gently lowered the loaded arm down. "I agree Yang, but we still don't have definitive proof, and that's what we're here for."

"I can send the data over to the VBI for analysis," Weiss offered after a moment. Blake nodded an affirmative and Recca stepped side, allowing the white-haired woman space to collect the information.

"While we're waiting to get the data back, I suggest we get to Hirano," Recca offered. "The folks will probably know more than we do."

"Agreed. Worst comes to worst, it's a place we can go over what we know and plan our next move," Blake said. "You said you lived there, right Recca?"

Recca pulled a cheeky grin. "Born, but yes – it's why I'm on this mission in the first place." At Blake's unamused stare, he dropped the snark and settled for a small smile. "I did. Been a while since I visited though. I doubt anyone I know is still there."

"Even still, it's worth a shot," Blake said, frowning. "You'll probably be able to get more information out of them than we will."

Recca chuckled. "I doubt that. You guys are Team RWBY. You guys are heroes all across Remnant. They'll be glad to share any info they know with you," he said, spreading his arms wide in an exaggerated manner.

The girls did not appear appreciative of the silly gesture though. The air went stale, a tangible mix of awkwardness that reminded Recca of a sour lemon. Yang, the woman he recognized as having a smile that outshined the sun, wore nothing but pain, creasing her face deep enough that it could have been permanent. Weiss' eyes were harder than stone, yet equally had the power to shatter it with her gaze alone. Blake was the only one not visibly affected by his comment, keeping her poker face up. Her shoulders however appeared higher up, as if she was ready to lash out.

Recca's eyes widened as he realized what he said. "Shit, I'm sorry," he said, cursing himself for his attempt at humor. "Let's head to Hirano. I'll see if the hotel manager can pull us some strings to stay there."

He brushed past them, careful not to make eye contact. Shades on or not, he didn't want to see their faces. He was only a temporary member of the team; he had no right to bring that up, and now he was probably in the negative with proving himself.

The trip into Hirano was stark silent, not one person uttering a peep. Recca lead them on, pulling from memory to check if his pathing was correct. The forest had grown immensely since his departure in all regards; it was always massive in scope, acting as a natural barrier when the Grimm used to roam free, but the addition of tangled roots and branches were too much, and something that could not have been done in the ten years since his departure.

While Recca understood the importance of solid evidence, he agreed with Yang about the unnatural nature of it all. Cinder was likely behind this new development, and had taken to hiding within Hirano's forests as a means of protection. Why though? What was she hiding within the thick logs and branches – solidified nature's grasp to the point that it brought these rumors to life?

Recca cleared his head; there was no use in fogging his brain with ideas and theoreticals. They needed something concrete, and hopefully, Hirano would be able to provide.

The black-haired man glanced up and was glad to have kept his shades on. More sunlight began to bleed through the sea of leaves, and the ground was becoming more stable. He glanced back, mouth open to tell them, but paused when he saw the same look on the three girls' faces: stoic faces; thin mouths; and hard eyes.

The tension had twisted as well; it didn't vanish, but the reasoning behind its presence was no longer originating from themselves, but instead a shared interest and desire to reach their goal. Recca briefly wondered how often they shared that feeling back when Team RWBY was on top of the world.

The forest had cleared to paved roads and concrete buildings, ambiance replaced by roaring cars and chittering citizens. People were beginning to gather at the entrance, eyes wide and mouths rambling, whispering and shouting similar phrases as they stared down the quartet. Reporters sat on the edge of the crowd, some fidgeting in place while others were already booting up their cameras.

It was to be expected though. As a reporter nearby proudly and loudly exclaimed: "Team RWBY, the Shining Beacon, has arrived in Hirano!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Banzai! My favorite saying, and one I use regularly, actually. Welcome to the ending notes of the second chapter, and we appreciate your continued - and brand new - patronage.
> 
> Alright, I'm done.
> 
> I hope this was enjoyable. Don't be afraid to leave a comment, especially if it's criticism. I'm still getting back into writing, and I'll be honest, that rust is never going to wear off. There's always something new to learn, always something to chase, and I'd prefer to keep it like that, even if it means being rusty forever. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you guys next time. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I wrote like four completely different openings to this chapter before finally settling on this.
> 
> This story as a whole is just a mess, really. I have a lot of the major stuff down, some written and some not, but I keep thinking of little additions and changes that either force a rewrite to what I have written or shuffle things up in my mind. It can get very confusing, especially when I start putting it into text. I swear I have some semblance of this story planned out, but things keep changing and I want to scream, like, at 3:00 a.m., on a night where I have to get up at 7, and I'm not used to waking up early, because work is a thing and so is college and AH-
> 
> Anyway, enough with that. Thanks for the kudos, comments, and views. I'm surprised I already have this many, to be honest. I hope this mess continues to entertain. :)

To say that Weiss was uncomfortable with the amount of cameras on her was an understatement; ironic, considering the status of her last name. As a Schnee, she grew up practically bathed in the spotlight with her family, going to business meetings and parties with the media tailing them like they failed stealth classes.

Her disdain for journalism was fostered at a young age. Even as Winter was groomed to take the Schnee mantle, Weiss found herself dragged to every event that her elder sister was featured, never quite in the spotlight but still feeling the lingering heat from the media just out of sight.

It wasn't until Winter had suddenly dropped the moniker of "heiress to the SDC" and joined the Atlas military that her hatred blossomed. In a rapid response to the sudden vacancy left behind by Winter, Weiss was roughly thrown into the blinding light of attention and had to rapidly adapt to her father's demands: from increasing attendance in meetings and press conferences to a sudden interest in teaching her to sing at parties after finding out about the young girl's talent, Weiss began to despise being the center of attention. Even more so, she hated the way her father threw her into the media's arms as "the rightful successor."

The very idea made her skin crawl, like she was nothing more than a puppet made to insult Winter. Everything the media spoke about Weiss had a tag attached, a little tail that always followed the bulk of the discussion: "Jacques Schnee's legacy."

On willpower and stubbornness alone, Weiss turned her focus, her spotlight, into becoming a Huntress – to prove him and the media wrong, that there was more to a Schnee than abiding to Jacques Schnee's will. The puppeteering the media was led to believe would be proven as nothing but falsehoods and pettiness, and they would relent in hounding her.

When the Fall happened, however, Weiss was dragged back into the SDC; her family's demise that night left a hole that she was forced to fill, and the media pounced on her, ready with sneering glares and ruthless jibes that begged her to slip up and trip from her father's shadow, thus proving that her obstinance was nothing but a rebellion without legs.

She thought she had finally escaped the camera life after stepping down as the last living heir to the Schnee Dust Company five years ago and signed it off to another conglomerate under its new name of Atlas Dust Company, believed that she was finally in control of her own life without her past haunting her.

Now, as Weiss stood at Hirano's entrance, the afternoon sun beating down on her porcelain skin, igniting a spark she thought lost with the memories she buried deep in her head (with her old teammates she had left behind), those memories sprang to life, jutting into her throat where they clung to her like a leech.

By chance or by fate, she stood at the precipice of everything she worked to leave behind, not just the SDC, but her years at Beacon Academy. From the painful idea of seeing Yang and Blake again to the mutual agreement to one last mission, it honestly felt more like a fever dream than reality, one Weiss was ready to reject.

However, this was her reality, and there was no turning back.

Steadying herself, Weiss spared a look at her teammates. Blake remained as collected as she could, but her naked Faunus ears twitched at every murmur that rumbled through the impressive crowd. Children lined up at the front with their parents, and the ones who couldn't break through the sea sat on the shoulders of others, watching with glimmering awe at the legendary team – or rather, what was left of it.

Silent as always, Blake kept her senses sharp, watching for any misstep that required her intervention. Her days from the White Fang played a heavy role in her watchful ways, careful in the actions of others that dared pose a threat, as did her time at Beacon as a mediator when Team RWBY found themselves at each other's throats, playful or otherwise.

Her eyes crossed Yang next, and she instantly regretted it. Every passive glance at Yang was a cross at Weiss' heart, threatening to spear the organ and rip it from her chest. From unbridled rage to sullen acceptance, it was nothing but a spectrum of emotions, like Weiss was spinning the Dust tubes on Myrtenaster, when she even flitted her gaze over the familiar mane of blonde hair, and the hidden fire buried deep in the sea of lilac.

Yang had been openly and equally uncomfortable at the prospect of working with Weiss again, experiencing similar sensations deep in her heart and soul, but Blake's words of seeing Cinder at their feet was enough to keep their feelings at bay – rather, keep it from crashing onto the shore like a tidal wave.

Recca, on the surface, appeared the least affected by the growing crowd. Most of his opinions remained hidden behind his sunglasses, which Weiss learned he rarely ever took off. His lips were thin, stretched out like someone was pulling his cheeks. His hands gestured in response to whoever waved at him, but aside from the menial motions, he kept his head on his shoulders. He remained a good few feet ahead of the rest of the team. Whether on accident or understanding, Weiss was a little grateful for the space.

She was thankful further when Recca shuffled slightly to the side as she stepped forward. The attention transferred to her like a hawk's gaze, reminding Weiss of her first public appearance as the new owner of the then SDC.

Weiss' hand moved through her hair, twirling the edges of her platinum bangs, before she caught herself, forcefully yanking her hand away and flinching at the small knot she tore apart. Ever since she got her hair cut to its new shoulder-length, she developed a nervous habit of running her fingers through her locks. Clasping her hands together at her waist mechanically, Weiss instead focused on the glinting lights and grinning reporters.

With a small gesture of her head, as she dared not move her twitching hands, they sprung to life like predators. A lady responded, dragging a camerawoman with her to get a close up of Weiss' face.

"Let me be the first to say that we are thrilled to have Team RWBY visiting our small town," she called over the voices that had begun to accumulate in the background. "Truly a momentous occasion!"

Weiss pulled a small, careful smile as she bowed slightly. "The pleasure is ours, I assure you. It is a sight to be welcomed in such a warm manner."

The reporter let out an embarrassed laugh, her free hand fidgeting at her side, likely trying to avoid messing up her hair. That lasted all of two seconds before she closed on the space between her and Weiss, enough that she could move the microphone as needed.

"This is your first public appearance since you stepped down from the Schnee Dust Company, now Atlas Dust Company, half a decade ago. Is your arrival here a coincidence to that, or is there something more?"

A small bead of sweat slipped down Weiss' neck at the sudden intrusion. She vainly hoped the attention would be on the whole of her team and not just her, but, as her father so eloquently put it: "A Schnee is always in the spotlight."

Worried that her disdain was showing, Weiss held her face straight, keeping a narrowed look that Winter had taught her to do when dealing with less than desirable people.

" _We_ are here to gather information on a mission," Weiss said succinctly.

The reporter's foot shuffled back half a step, clearly surprised by Weiss' tone. The crowd behind inched imperceptibly closer, and Weiss only noticed it when Blake inched away herself.

The lady recovered, holding back a gulp that stretched her neck. "Is there anything you can tell us about this mission?" she asked carefully, before her eyes glimmered. "With Team RWBY's reputation, we can only imagine it's quite the adventure."

From the corner of her eye, Weiss noticed Yang curl in on herself, drawing her hand to the torn cloth, absentmindedly running her fingers over the fabric. A tinge of bile rose, twisting around the parasite of her past. Weiss swallowed down the feeling, focusing her attention back on the camera that taunted her with her reflection.

"We are not at liberty to talk about the mission in any capacity." Weiss' voice hardened as she spoke, a boulder against a toy hammer. For added effect, she infused some of her aura in her eyes, producing a flashing strike of silver.

Her desired reaction came to fruition: many of the news broadcasters backed away, some even merging with the civilians to escape her glare. Weiss pulled back, the glimmer in her eyes fading back to their normal blue and allowing her aura to flow freely through her body again, flinching slightly at the familiar headache that followed.

The one journalist that Weiss hoped would step away, however, remained in her space. Her eyes were knit together in a curious gesture, and even the camera woman's face, whatever Weiss could see of it, was scrunched together before, simultaneously, they relaxed.

She held her gaze over Weiss again, who kept her back straight and her chin up, a pose her father drilled into her as a child. While her eyes remained their natural color, Weiss sharpened her look with a layer of frost, holding back a smirk when she saw the reporter's shoulders roll.

Realizing she wasn't getting any more out of Weiss, the lady withdrew her microphone and instead moved around the rest of the group, stopping in front of Recca with that familiar glint. Weiss readied herself to intervene, but Blake held her hand up in a subtle gesture, grazing Weiss with a gentle look. Weiss nodded, but shifted closer in the case she needed to respond.

"And who might you be? We haven't seen many new Huntsmen in the past decade," the journalist questioned with genuine curiosity, holding the mic up for him to respond.

While his eyes continued to hide behind his shades, Recca's posture slipped at the question, revealing his surprise. Weiss couldn't hold off her humor at the distraught pose Recca followed suit with, his trench coat hanging off his arms. To his credit, he recovered quickly, drawing his arms up and practically throwing his coat back into its proper position, an action that riled up a few in the crowd. A small streak of red crossed his face, but he hid it with a small cough and a smile.

"I'm Recca. I graduated from Shade Academy a few years back and I'm assisting Team RWBY with their mission because of my knowledge of the area – of which I cannot elaborate on," he added at the reporter's quirked lips, which dipped into a frown. Recca held back a poorly concealed chuckle with his fist.

Another glint flashed in the reporter's eyes, this time sharp and menacing. Weiss wasn't quick enough to stop her from speaking.

"Do you plan on staying with Team RWBY after this top-secret mission is over? Because of Ruby's-"

A deafening crack reverberated through Weiss' ears, ringing through her nerves and shaking her bones out of alignment. The ground beneath her split open as if an earthquake suddenly occurred, ripping apart the concrete in jagged waves. It peeled outward, crossing into the crowd as they panicked and backed up from the eruption until it resembled a tree in the middle of winter.

Sweat began to pour down Weiss' neck, sinking into her clothing and dampening it like she was hit by a heatwave. Others who stood too close suffered from the dramatic shift as well, sweat spots rising rapidly. Most cameras died on the spot, an audible hum signaling loss of life echoing in the air before dying completely, while others fell apart dramatically, fraying with visible bolts of electricity before imploding. Weiss turned carefully, and had to bring her hand up to block the living sun that was Yang Xiao Long from blinding her permanently.

Her hair was alight with fire, defying gravity as it chased after the smoke trails that emanated from her. Her right gauntlet was activated, positioned above the small crater that erupted when she discharged Ember Celica, digging her almost a foot deeper into the earth. Her lilac eyes bled completely over with a sea of red, wide and narrowed all at once with the gaze of a snake. Her mouth twisted into a deep-rooted scowl, carved into her face with a chisel wielded by a blind man.

She marched one step, and the ground crumbled around her, reverting to cement from the overwhelming energy that radiated off her in droves.

Whether unknowing or unafraid if anyone was a police officer mixed with the crowd, Yang raised her right hand, pointing the freshly loaded barrel of her precious weapon into the crowd, specifically at the journalist who had uttered the question. She had the decency to look frightened, not helped by the downpour of sweat that was sure to leave her dehydrated – if she made it out alive.

Yang opened her mouth, smoke exhaling and rising into the air, forming a decent-sized cloud like a raging fire, and breathed, "Don't you dare mention her."

The reporter nodded only after her brain short-circuited in a similar fashion to the cameras. The camerawoman behind her appeared less affected by Yang's open-ended threat, save for slightly widened eyes, before nodding in tandem with her partner.

Blake slid towards Yang, braving the heat to rest a hand on her shoulder. Yang flinched from the contact, but allowed herself to step back and simmer down. Her hair receded to its natural gravity, no longer upheld by her energy as it slowly dissipated into the air, taking the oppressive temperature with it.

Blake stared into Yang's eyes, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze before stepping forward.

"We appreciate the welcome you have provided us," she intoned, her posture mimicking Weiss'. "However, our mission is vital, and we would prefer withholding questions or comments that do not pertain to it."

Weiss nodded in approval, reaffirming her stature to match Blake's, a momentary lapse of irony filling her. Recca followed suit, readjusting his glasses as he stepped in line with the rest of Team RWBY.

"It's starting to get late as well, and I'm sure your editors will want as much information as you can give them." Recca grinned. "Make sure you get our good sides; the sun sure didn't."

His attempt to break the ice worked, rippling through the stupefied crowd. Careful of the fractured concrete, the gathering began to dissolve, murmurs spiking in tandem. Weiss blocked what she could, but some slipped through about Yang's sudden shift in mood.

Yang always wore her heart on her sleeve; Weiss learned that early on at Beacon. She wasn't afraid to express herself openly and without a filter, practically the opposite of Weiss' upbringing. Even after Team RWBY made a name for themselves, and the media increased their focus on the "Shining Beacon" as they were eventually called, Yang never once shied away from her open-mindedness.

Weiss frowned as she snuck a glance at Yang, whose eyes just now faded back to their lilac state. Her arms remained quivering even as she tried to hide them, locking her hands behind her back to quell her shaking. Her eyes were downcast, a sign of shame Weiss knew all too well, her sunshine hiding behind a storm of purple.

Unable to watch the display without the acid in her stomach combusting, Weiss focused ahead again; the crowd was completely clear now, voices evaporating into nonsensical white noise that accompanied the passing traffic.

Through the meandering people, her eyes caught a speck off in the distance. Weiss narrowed her eyes, picking out a pair of brown orbs aimed directly at her. A prick ran through her head, driving itself into the base of her skull with the force of an Ursa.

Her vision swam, distorting the character that locked gazes with her, but the brown remained clear in the fog. Her aura pulsed automatically, swimming through her body in a blaze, as if reading incoming danger. Weiss closed her eyes to alleviate the pain, dissuading her aura from reinforcing around her like a shield, and when she opened them, the figure was gone. She blinked twice more, but nothing changed; the sea of people remained, and the spot the person took up was vacant, as if they were never there.

"Weiss?"

Weiss held a hand to her forehead to rub away the remnants of the pain, turning her attention to Recca. He jerked a finger over his shoulder where Blake and Yang stood, their hands subtly linked together in a comforting grip.

"We're about to head over to the hotel and see if they can book us in," he said, dropping his hand back down, leveling her with a careful frown. "You alright?"

Weiss chanced a final glance back into the passing crowd, a small, silent hope acting as a bandage, wedging itself in the back of her head where the pain originated. Her wishes went unanswered; the space remained empty, yet the populace moved around it as if there was an unseen force keeping them from stepping through the boundary.

Shaking her head of her rambunctious thoughts, Weiss faced Recca, keeping her face neutral. "I'm fine, I just thought I saw something. Lead the way."

* * *

Ruby watched with a heart as heavy as stone as Team RWBY left behind the fractured ground. She arrived just in time to see Yang's explosion, and she was positive that anyone who didn't see it personally would know about it before the day was out.

Her body ached seeing her sister react in such a manner, ready to tear apart an entire group of living, _innocent_ people for just attempting to utter her name – the name of a dead woman.

Ruby chilled at the thought of it, and tried to close off her thoughts from exploring it further, sealing it behind seven different unique locks that randomized their answers with every attempt. Yang never deserved to fall down that path; she deserved a life full of happiness with the people she cared about at her side. To see her sister coming so close to acting on her anger was a guilt drenched knife with Ruby's name etched on it with her fingernails, dangling just above her neck.

Ruby turned away as the quartet left her view finally, vanishing into the crowd. She took a moment to gulp down greedy breaths to dissuade the rising bile. Once cleared enough that she could keep herself steady, she ambled through the crowd, glad she donned a unique outfit Christian had bought her and stuffed her hair into a cap, allowing her to blend in without the worry of being spotted.

She wasn't ready to face her former team yet. Honestly, she probably never would be, but their paths would cross sooner or later, and Ruby preferred as late as possible, like the time she had procrastinated on her mid-term for Oobleck's class and Weiss nearly literally chewed her out for it. Her heart began racing, pushing past a simple throb and going straight for cardiac arrest.

To quell her erratic thoughts and body, Ruby turned her mind to the newcomer of the group, who called himself Recca. After surviving the giggle fit in realization his name started with an "R" too, something she desperately needed, Ruby kept walking, a small smile adorning her face.

The man seemed calm and collected, similar to Blake, standing strong as they were surrounded by news reporters and enamored fans for the most part, yet able to break the ice gently like an ice sculptor in response to Yang's near rampage.

Her feet glued themselves to the concrete, weighed down by her heart. Go figure, try to focus on one member of the new Team RWBY, and somehow find her way back to her poisonous thoughts. It was almost like she was asking for it.

Ruby looked to the sky, where the sun started ebbing away, pinks, reds, and oranges stretching across the expanse as a final hurrah before the moon took its place atop Remnant. It succeeded in removing her head from the road it was barreling down, taking whatever thoughts that were hidden away with it, allowing her to acknowledge the sky's beauty without loaded thoughts for once.

Her scroll buzzed in her pocket, and the hairs on her neck bristled. Only one person called her this late – at all, actually. Ducking into a nearby alley away from the late afternoon runabout, she pressed her scroll close to her ear, hunching down against the wall to create a makeshift sound barrier.

"Base to Scarlet."

The hairs morphed to jagged knives; it was work then. "Scarlet here. What'cha got?"

"Data," Christian said, exhaling a massive breath. "I cross-examined the remains with our files. Matches previous incidents found by other Huntsmen in the field."

Ruby resisted the urge to toil with her hair, afraid of creating more knots in it.

"We're on the right track then?" She phrased it as a question. She learned at too young of an age that questions produced better results.

"Looks like it. The Beowolf data matches what we've seen recently as well: Dust infused."

Ruby bonked her head against the brick behind her. "That's pretty obvious, in a good way. We don't need any more natural Grimm spawning anytime soon."

Christian remained silent at that, save for a noncommittal hum. Ruby appreciated it.

"The spawn appeared pretty recent too, based off the lingering Dust on the corpse, but we obviously can't test the accuracy because the Beowolf disintegrated."

Ruby tucked her chin in a solemn agreement. Natural or not, the fact that the Grimm disappeared halted a lot of their tracing capabilities.

"If it's true that it was a child, we should be getting close to Cinder, right?"

"That, or at the very least a lab where these Grimm are being produced," Christian supplied, tampering with and alleviating her nerves.

"Hopefully the last. I don't need to be heralded as a hero here twice. The first time almost cost me my identity."

Christian went silent again, cutting off his agreement. Unprepared for the sudden lapse, Ruby did chew on her finger, only slightly puncturing the skin.

"Are those rumors still floating around?"

Ruby sighed in relief, blowing cool air on the stinging digit before moving her hand to her heart. "Not from what I've heard," she said. "It's been five years by now, so hopefully everyone's over it."

"I can send in another team to-"

"No, Christian!" Ruby nearly jumped straight, stopping only when she jammed a knee into the wall opposite of her. She winced, rubbing her knee, before saying in a softer voice, "We don't need another issue like that. I can deal with it myself."

A heavy sigh filtered through the phone, followed by the gentle creak of a chair. "Right, sorry. I didn't mean to insinuate that."

"It's fine Christian," Ruby returned. "I know why you suggested it."

She turned her gaze back towards the sky; the sun was halfway through, and gentle streaks of black started to surface behind the glowing ball of life.

"But," she continued, "it's going to come up eventually, especially with Team RWBY here. If we try to hide it, it'll only pique their curiosity even more. They're going to find out, whether we like it or not.

"I mean, there's only one other person who's able to do what Ruby did, and that's Scarlet – me. With how smart Blake and Weiss are, as well as that guy Recca seems to be, they're going to connect the dots eventually."

Her heart throbbed at the admission; the inevitability that she was going to have to face her past gnawed at her constantly before this point, but she never truly considered the repercussions of her actions until now. It was like a minefield, one where no matter where Ruby started, no matter where she took her first step, it would set off a chain reaction, and she always caught in the center of the blast zone.

She just hoped – as much as she didn't want to – that at least Cinder was taken care of before she had to answer those questions.

"Whatever happens Ruby, I'm still here for you."

Ruby smiled. Tears poked out one by one, drawing wet traces down her face. She quickly wiped them away, took a staggering breath, and exhaled.

"I know. Thank you, Chris."

His chuckle came out infused with static, but the original intent remained, and Ruby felt a bit lighter because of it.

"Well, you called me for mission-related details." She stood fully now, stretching her injured knee off to the side. "Is there anything else you need me to do?"

A small 'whoosh' came through, followed by a smack that Ruby recognized as Christian swiping through a folder.

"Not at the moment. We're stuck until we can manage to pull some more data. Head's done sending out any more Huntsmen and Huntresses, so you and Team RWBY are our best effort."

Ruby's stomach flipped, and not in a good way. While no more lives would be lost to Cinder and her plans, the lack of additional manpower was going to slow their efforts even more. In the end, her heart won out, one that was burned with death before.

"Alright," she said. "That's good."

Silence fell over them, neither party sure what to say. Ruby didn't mind though; a few times in the past she and Christian left the call open, the simple act of being there enough to provide comfort.

"I'll be sure to call when something new pops up."

Ruby nodded. "Understood. I'll let you know if something happens on my end. Scarlet out."

"Base out," he said, then, after a pause: "Take care, Ruby."

She smiled. "You too."

The line went dead, and Ruby dropped her scroll into her pocket, placing a hand over her heart. It thrummed rhythmically, a steady beat in a mellow song. She looked to the sky, where night had established its foothold against the day, and marched onward, ready to blanket the world in its rule.

Much like night was an inevitability to day, Ruby's inevitability was ready to arrive in short order, galloping along at a steady pace. Whether she was ready to face it or not, it did not care. The only thing that mattered was her willingness to face her past that she left behind in the Fall.

Ruby was positive she already knew what would happen when her former team found out. Scenarios played out in her head periodically when she had nothing to do, like trailers for an upcoming film, only she was never excited to go see these movies on a Saturday night with friends. Everything was different: unique setting; unique dialogue; unique circumstances, but it all ended the same: with broken hearts, ruined dreams, and, sometimes, a dead body.

In short, "unwilling" was the nicest way Ruby described her lack of desire to see them. She feared those scenes coming to fruition, not only because she didn't want to see the looks of pure pain on their faces, but because, selfishly, she didn't want them to suffer anymore. Their fight ended at the Fall; this was Ruby's war now.

But that was the inevitability of this situation: they were forced to suffer for her mistakes, for the part she played that night.

Ruby fell into a dreamless sleep later that night, collapsed on her bed like a rock as she stared out at the lackluster stars and dim moon, weighed down by the stress and exhaustion that was finally catching up with her, a steady gallop running in her ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second funny fact: I took a journalism class in college. I somehow did pretty well, but my newfound knowledge did not make writing this any easier, even if it was just a short scene.
> 
> C fun fact: I'm really bad at writing dialogue. I have no idea if what I'm saying is natural in the slightest, and even knowing how the characters are supposed to act, it doesn't make it ANY easier. So, you know, ugh. Oh well, live and learn and all that. Good practice at least - theoretically anyway.
> 
> My rambling aside, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with this mess of a storyyyyy~ I hope it's making sense so far. Please call me out if something seems, you know, off. I won't be upset. Sometimes I'm purposely making it confusing, and other times it's completely accidental. Descriptions are especially so in this case. Sometimes I try a bit too hard. Like I said, been a while since I've taken writing seriously, and it doesn't help that college is going around at the same time and I'm panicking about EVERYTHING. I'm really trying to create something fun and enjoyable to read, at the very least. So leave those comments, give me criticism.
> 
> Anyway, that's enough from me. Enjoy. :)

Deep in the roots of the forest, surrounded by towering, dilapidated trunks, dry brown leaves that crunched when stepped on, and rotted roots that corrupted the grass in a sickly green and brown, the well off modern building stuck out like a sore thumb, with smooth gray walls that contrasted with the dying forest, and a stable architecture that crushed the nearby nature underfoot.

Roman Torchwick sauntered up to the massive metal doors that implanted itself firmly into the ground, almost reaching as high as the wall itself, but not close enough to greet the late afternoon sun. He puffed out the smoke from his cigar and shook his head; he never understood her desire for this building. They needed space for work, yes, but even as flamboyant as he was, he still valued secrecy when it was needed, and an abandoned Dust manufacturing building did not scream, or rather whisper, secrecy.

As the thoughts crossed his mind, he took a moment to gaze at the surrounding brush, glazing over the torrent of trees that collapsed together with barely enough space to fit a person. Intimidation, maybe? But the only people who even came near this building eventually became one with nature, ironically in the most unnatural manner possible.

Shaking himself from those thoughts, he fingered the pad next to the door, hilariously small in comparison to the mechanism it connected to. A groan echoed underfoot, and he had to grip his cane slightly tighter to stop the wobble that swam up his body.

There was a buzz, a pause, and a series of beeps that emanated from the pad his thumb lackadaisically laid against, and he had to resist putting extra pressure onto his cane to alleviate the boredom.

"Report," a distorted voice finally cut through, and he barely held in the desire to sigh melodramatically. However, that didn't stop the next quirk from escaping his lips.

"Finally. I was beginning to get worried the service finally died," Roman proclaimed. "We're so far out in this forest I'm surprised it lasted this long."

A growl punched through. "Report," the voice said again with poorly concealed annoyance.

Roman rolled his eyes, and likely would have done so even if there was a visual feed. Why did she have to hire such bratty underlings?

"I have something to report to her _specifically_ , so if you'll please let me I'd be greatly appreciated," he drawled in return.

The voice on the other end vanished, but not before snorting – directly at him, he imagined. A wicked smile crossed his face as he tapped his cane against the ground, using his now freed hand to take another drag from his cigar.

The ground beneath him rumbled again, and he subconsciously gripped the cane. There was a long-suffering groan as the metal doors began to pry themselves open, loud enough that he believed it only added to the rumors about the forest.

Flicking the cigar onto the torched grass behind him, Roman strolled inside, and the doors snapped shut. More growls caught his attention, much more feral than the grunt who "greeted" him at the door.

The entryway was spacious enough to fit a tank, a stark contrast compared to the space just outside, and the space was used very well. A long red, gold-lined carpet stretched the distance of the generous space, splitting at a double staircase at the back wall of the foyer that connected into a metal balcony, rolling around and into a long hallway faintly illuminated by hazy lights. Along the right wall, computers sat on sheer white desks, connected to digital labs and cabinets. Further, a yawning doorway led into a hallway covered by the dark lighting. Pushed up against the left wall, three Beowolves hunched in their small cages, viciously slamming into the bars and howling like ravenous beasts. Their eyes were dilated, almost slits, yet their red irises continued to pulse in tune with their rampaging. A few grunts – rookies, by the panicked looks – appeared to be taking notes. One was almost ripped to shreds by a wild swing of a Beowolf who dented out the bars.

Roman rolled his eyes, raised his cane, and fired a shot next to the bloodthirsty Grimm. The resulting shock wave separated the scuffle and flung the Beowolf skull first into the bars behind it, knocking it unconscious with a _crack_.

The grunts who had almost been brutalized collectively turned to face their savior, one's mouth opened in a possible thanks, only to die at the throat when he realized who had saved him.

Pride flooded his body, and he smirked, straightening out his striped black dress jacket. "Grimm thrive off of fear. If you can't control your fear, you're better off as bait," Roman said, twirling his cane to aim at the unconscious Grimm. "As they say: 'if you cannot stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.'"

A low and sinister laugh followed his proclamation, echoing through the foyer like tendrils in the shadows. The grunts went ridged, limbs latched by the tendrils as they waited for whatever that walked out of that doorway to strike them down.

At the end of the foyer, stepping outside of the darkness, Cinder Fall, dressed in a lavish maroon and gray trench coat over a blood-red dress, took her place against the metal railing of the balcony. Her right hand was littered in red scars of various sizes, trailing down her wrist and behind the lining of her coat. Tucking stray strands of her shoulder-length black hair languidly behind her ear with her right hand, Cinder leaned into it, swiping her amber-red eyes over the room.

Her eyes stopped on the frozen grunts and Roman, a small, sick smile flitting to life. "Well said Roman, though I would appreciate if you didn't kill my followers yourself. Good help is so hard to find nowadays."

Roman stepped back in dramatic surprise, throwing his unoccupied hand over his heart while he raised his foot in the air and twirled it. "Why Cinder, I am absolutely distraught at your words. After all we've been through, you still think so little of me?" he questioned, pulling his white fedora off and dipping into a bow so low it looked like he was groveling.

He raised back up, not bothering to hide the gleam in his eye at the terrified look each of the grunts sported, all while the remaining two Beowolves continued to snarl from the confines of their cages, slashing out spit with each twist of their heads.

Cinder regarded them silently, pupils dilating and expanding by fractions as she absorbed the scene before her. She rose from the railing, gliding her fingertips against the cold steel as she walked, creating a low screech that tailed her otherwise silent steps.

She sauntered down the staircase, each strut of her scarred legs purposeful in their near-silent execution. The howls of the Beowolves tapered off as Cinder etched closer to the group.

She towered over the trembling grunts. Even Roman had to twitch his head back to meet her at eye level, not because she was physically taller – though she had gained a few inches in the past ten years – but because her presence lorded over him, like a Beowolf toying with its prey. He bit back a chuckle, glad to not be in their shoes.

He leaned into his cane with both hands, keeping his posture straight as he watched any remaining backbone in the three subordinates wash away like liquefied metal.

_Ooh, that's a good one._ Roman thought, filing that one away.

Cinder smiled again, this time a more gentle flame than a roaring fire. She leaned down, exposing more lines of malformed flesh up her arms and legs. "There is no need to fear. I am a fair leader," she said, drawing her marred hand up to her chest, laying it across her jacket. "If you are uncomfortable with your current situation, you need only tell me." A saccharine smile began to blossom as she finished, stretching her hand from her chest in a placating gesture.

The frightened peons exchanged glances, speaking in a silent tongue. The tension hovering over them was more solid than reinforced plated dust, tied to a flimsy rope that Roman only slightly thought about cutting through – on accident, of course.

Roman didn't need to. They did it themselves.

The one Roman had saved rose to meet Cinder halfway, reaching for the outstretched hand. As he clasped it, Cinder's smile stretch (Roman thought he saw the subordinate return it), growing wider and wider as the seconds passed. The atmosphere began to unwind, easing until a breath was able to be taken without it resulting in another person flinching.

Both happened.

Cinder sighed, seemingly relieved by the comfort the grunt practically radiated, then something else began to radiate. The smile burned off of Cinder's face, replaced by knotted eyebrows and a rising scowl.

The man flinched, trying to pull away, but found his arm rooted. He pulled again, almost throwing his body off-center, only to be dragged forward as Cinder stood tall, clenching the appendage in a vice grip. The wounds that wove around her hand began to pulse alight, mirroring the flames that danced in her eyes.

"I gave you a home," Cinder spat. "I gave you a place to grow, and you return it with incompetence and petty fears. I gave you a chance to blossom, and yet you wilt without resistance."

The grunt's comrades long since ducked away from the raging woman, whose contorted sneer caused the Beowolves to merge with their cages, whimpers scarcely heard over the heated fury of Cinder Fall.

The poor boy sputtered, choking out half-finished apologies and false promises. Roman ticked down his remaining time on Remnant.

"I have no room for people like _you_ in my home," Cinder said, a growl rumbling the very floor they stood on. Flames spit from her hand, twirling in a tornado of colors before lashing out over the grunt, devouring him in a spectacle of light and screams. His body twisted and convulsed as the inferno ate away at his flesh, gnawing on the meal it was bestowed with greedy jaws and teeth.

Cinder stepped away, letting her arms fall to the side as she watched the screaming man die before her with narrowed eyes and a thin mouth. His cries for help echoed around the building repeatedly, supplying everyone in the deeper levels with ample evidence of what was occurring, but no one new burst into the room with demands or pleas to stop, leaving only the sounds of a doomed man as his life faded away.

The flames died out, expelling into the air, leaving the charred corpse to slump against the floor, smoke trailing off as it followed the remnants of fire and creating a pungent stench that settled over the room quickly.

Roman waved a hand in front of his face, removing the rotten odor from greeting his nostrils. He resisted the urge to pull a fresh cigar out and light it on the corpse; some humor was best saved for later.

Cinder's head snapped at the remaining grunts, whose backs straightened faster than a hammer on dented metal.

"Remove this poor excuse of a child from my sight," she whispered with a sizzling voice that outdid the burning body. The two grunts followed with nary a second glance, snatching up the corpse with, he admitted, a calm demeanor and collected movement, removing it with haste.

Cinder faced Roman when she was sure the two had escaped earshot, regarding the orange-haired criminal with a critical look. His back straightened out unconsciously. Even he knew Cinder was not negotiable when dealing with incompetence, and it only got worse after the Fall.

"You had something of importance to tell me?"

Roman grinned. "Of course; I would not dare impose on you otherwise."

Cinder merely hummed in response. She turned around, retracing her steps back up the stairs and waving Roman to follow her. The hallway before them stretched a good distance, with rooms splintering off in a multitude of directions. No windows were present along the high walls, the only light source coming from the low hanging lanterns placed periodically along the path.

Roman whistled appreciatively at the clean, white-blue walls of the interior and the seemingly endless rug stitched into the floorboard.

"Who knew an abandoned Dust building could clean up so nicely."

"What news did you bring?" Cinder grunted, keeping her eyes forward. "We've been extremely busy, and I have no time for delays."

Roman chuckled at the woman's tone, not even flinching when her scarred hand raised just slightly, a low pulse lighting up the hallway briefly. Undeterred, Roman lit up a cigar and took a quick drag, watching as the smoke crawled to the ceiling.

"Project Zero has been confirmed in Hirano."

Cinder halted in her stride, her hand losing its glow as it returned to her side. Roman leaned onto his cane, watching her dress ride up as she shuffled her shoulders, rolled her neck, looked cautiously back at him through black tresses. Her eyes flashed an orange hue, permitting him to continue.

"I found the remnants of a Beowolf trap earlier," Roman said, blowing a puff of smoke. "I contacted Neo about it, and she said she spotted a Ms. Scarlet Eiha returning from the forest shortly after."

Cinder held up her hand. "What does Eiha have to do with Zero, Roman?" Her tone was low and dangerous, scorching venom falling freely. Roman raised his hand and gently lowered Cinder's, only pulling back when a speck of fire burned the skin of his cigar.

"Ooh, it gets better, I promise." He jumped on the balls of his feet for emphasis. "The trap that was triggered was the VBI Huntsman you captured two weeks ago, and the only people who would know about his absence are the VBI."

Roman purposely paused to read Cinder's expression. She didn't expose any more of her face to Roman, but her eyes glinted with familiarity and, if he looked close enough through the strings of hair that covered her face, a slight tick to her lips.

He hid back his smirk, leaning sideways against his cane in a properly smug stance. "I did some research here and there." Roman dragged his hand across the air for emphasis, leaving specks of ash in a line along the rug. "According to what I was able to dig up, Ms. Eiha has been assigned to a top-secret project spanning back the last ten years, the specifics of which correlate to the time of your disappearance and the traces we tried to hide."

Roman hushed himself once again, flicking the excess ash off of his cigar, and opened his arms wide, this time unable to stop the face-splitting grin and equally grinning eyes. Cinder turned fully, pinning her hair behind her ear before crossing her arms. A dangerous spark was forming deep in her pulsing red irises. Along her body, her scars lit up in a flash of energy, coalescing around her damaged hand that was clenched tight enough in a fist that the veins poked out of her skin.

"Only one person could know how to follow us like that." The air around Roman split open from the sharpness of her voice.

His grin somehow grew larger as he leaned forward, mere inches from her face. His nose twisted at the raw power that radiated off of her, wrapping around him and sending chills down his spine. One small mistake and he could be incinerated like the grunt in the entryway and used as a test subject for Grimm experiments.

"Ruby Rose," Roman whispered.

It was like a lightning bolt. Roman was thrown back by the sudden gust of wind that surrounded Cinder. It tore apart the rug in a flurry of slashes, rising in the air and painting the tornado in shades of red and orange. Cinder stood at the epicenter of it, eyes combusting in a roaring fury, but her mouth remained a thin line. Her hand quivered and undulated, fingers curled at the precise spot that she could slam someone with a fist or stab them with perfectly straight fingers.

Fire began to flicker in her palm, spinning and twirling, growing with each passing second. It crackled like electricity, lashing out at the walls randomly, even bursting one of the many light fixtures above them, engulfing their space in darkness aside from the living fireball at Cinder's fingertips.

Then it vanished, as did the howling wind that surrounded her. Bits of the rug floated to the ground, some falling into dents created by the tornado while others disintegrated. The flare swallowed itself, returning to Cinder's hand as it fell limp, plunging their space back into a hollow light.

Roman straightened out, wiping the excess ash and rug from his pristine striped black jacket, spotting his cigar in a pile of its remains. He sent a silent goodbye to it before returning his attention to Cinder, who watched him with a calculated expression like she didn't almost kill him with her tirade.

"I want your scouts to keep an eye on 'Ms. Eiha'," she spat the name like it was ash clogging up her lungs, "and I want Neo reporting what she does before she does it."

She stalked up to the criminal until she was capable of seeing her reflection in his pupils. "You will report to me any information that is pertinent, or you will be seeing that worthless grunt in Hell."

Cinder retreated, finding her neutral posture, as if she hadn't threatened one of the most hardened criminals in Remnant. Roman, for his part, remained unfazed at his employer's inferno – figurative and literal – and held his ground with his curled smirk and gleaming eyes.

As he was about to answer her though, his scroll rang. Roman glanced at Cinder in a silent question, to which she nodded. He popped open the device and, with a playful timber, informed that it was from Neo.

"Isn't this just such an exciting day?" he asked, tapping the floor with his cane.

"What does Neo have to report?" Cinder returned. Roman held to his chest that she was unable to hold back the slight anticipation that slipped into her words.

"Team RWBY appears to have arrived in Hirano just minutes ago on a mission they chose to not comment on." Roman chuckled. "It was a very _explosive_ welcome, they're saying."

Cinder's shoulders tensed and relaxed in one fluid motion. Her lips pursed as she drew her unmarred hand to her chin, drawing a line below her lip. She repeated the process, rubbing her chin contemplatively.

"Ruby Rose reappears and now the rest of Team RWBY has arrived in Hirano?" she asked, more to herself than to Roman. A laugh burst from her chest, echoing along the halls.

She drew her hand back, a smile forming on her face moments later. "You're right Roman, this has been an exciting day," she drawled. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. As usual, you have continued to prove yourself a valuable asset." Her smile grew, almost brighter than the light she demolished.

Roman nodded, brushing a hand over his fedora. "Of course. Is there anything else you need of me?"

Cinder turned back around, staring down the dimly lit hallway. They were close to the end, where another massive door eclipsed the side rooms, a twisted mix of metal and wood. It wasn't decorated lavishly, rather, scorch marks adorned the surface from top to bottom.

"See to it that the Death Stalker experiments are coming along nicely." There was a brief flash out of the corner of her eye. "We may need it sooner rather than later."

"What about Mercury and Emerald?" As much as Roman loathed to mention the two, they were equally valuable assets, and Cinder trusted them wholly.

The amber-eyed woman looked contemplative. "Hold, for now. We need more information about Eiha and Team RWBY before sending them in blindly."

"As you wish," he said, bowing dramatically, before shuffling his way towards the exit, leaving Cinder to mumble to herself. As her voice began to fade, Roman scarcely picked out what she was saying.

"I gave you a home, and you destroyed it. I gave you love, and you repaid me in blood. I will not tolerate abandonment Ruby Rose, and you'll see first-hand what I do to cowards like you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roman's and Cinder's outfits are based off of the beautiful piece done by ThyBlake depicting the RWBY cast in WWII. Roman's is more literal (because it's so good), while Cinder's has some (slight) adjustments made to it. I enjoyed writing this chapter a lot. Writing for the bad guys is always a fun experience. Hopefully, it's translated well enough here. Once more, criticism is good. Let me know how I'm doing. It's a team effort for this to be good.
> 
> Enough of my rambling though. Have a good one, and I'll see you whenever chapter 5 is posted.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: I managed to mess up the publishing of this again! AGH! I'm still not used to this website. Hopefully, this won't happen a third time - third time's the charm and all that.
> 
> I'm sorry this took a while. Like I said on Fanfiction, I had most of this done by the time school started, then finished it around mid-semester, then the avalanche of school work, getting laid off from my job, and finals happened. By the time I got around to editing it, I ended up rewriting the opening and ending around four to five times. Pretty hectic, all things considered.
> 
> That being said, I, unfortunately, have to admit that updates for this will continue to be slow. The upcoming semester at my college will be rough, but I will be working to get ahead when I can, so that by summer I'll have something for you guys. I'm trying to take steps to prevent what happened this semester from happening again.
> 
> Anyway, that's enough of me for now. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter.
> 
> Also: there will be another note at the end. I will warn you right now: It will be long and selfish.

_Smoke and fire fogged her vision, gathering into a storm cloud that rode overhead, blanketing the land in an orange haze. Everywhere she looked chaos reigned, loud and thunderous. Civilians screamed, breaking the sound barrier in a cacophony of madness. Footfalls accompanied with a resounding beat, hammering at the war-torn earth in cinders and rubble._

_Every inch resonated in her body, rattling her bones and turning her muscles into mush - forcing her to lean on her weapon for support. She ambled through the destruction, passing by abandoned bodies and homes reduced to ash. Hunters rushed to and fro, weapons drawn as they marched forward, or retreated with shattered families in tow. Some people recognized her - begged her to turn back. She ignored their pleads, their pitying eyes; she knew what lied beyond the death, where everything congregated, waiting for her arrival with bated breaths._

_Despite pulsing wounds she continued, every step inking blood out, dotting the path. Her aura flared weakly, stretching out and guiding her when her brain began to swim and her vision failed. She grasped the thread, her hand shaking at the magnitude of energy that wove into her._

_She marched - past the bodies, the oily stench of rancid blood, the choked feeling of smoke heating her body. Her aura continued to resonate, humming as it pressed into her wounds, alleviating the stress that threatened to tear apart her legs._

_However, nothing could keep her standing as she reached the heart of Vale. Four bodies threw themselves at each other with reckless abandon, each crack of weapon fire a fresh wound on her heart, and each screech of metal slicing into her soul._

_She stood at the edge, watched as two of the combatants be flung aside seamlessly. The survivors stood tall, adjusting their weapon into a combat-ready stance, prepared to retaliate. She opened her mouth, unsure of what she wanted to say but wanting to scream nonetheless. Throat snapping shut, her words denied, tears blurred the edges of her vision. Her aura thrummed angrily, sending spikes of undulating energy coursing over her._

_She breathed it in, removing the thoughts that plagued her, and marched into the fire._

Nightmares were an odd assortment.

Weiss got used to them early in her life. When she was younger, it was of the White Fang breaking into her home, killing her family and torturing her for days on end. As she grew up, it morphed into her father taking everything she loved. He eventually lost his features as she got older, shifting into a formless blob that adjusted to whatever made her tick that day. By the time she reached Beacon, her senses were so sharp to her fears that the slightest creak woke her up.

After Beacon… she and sleep were nothing more than distant friends trying to reconnect.

Weiss stood up from her bed with a practiced movement. Her feet meshed with the carpet, producing a chill that contrasted the heat that filtered through the window. Drilling down the cold with a shiver, she swept across the floor, the only noise heard that of her heartbeat and sleeping teammates, picking up a spare set of clothes on the way.

With a quick flourish, she slipped into the connecting bathroom and closed it. A sigh escaped, trailing down her legs and making them wobble. Gaining her strength, she gauged her sunken features with a tired glare: Dark crescent rings stacked below her eyes in sets of three. By the third set, the color faded easily into her once porcelain skin, having tanned lightly in the past half-decade. Her hair stuck at all ends; even short it still founds ways to be difficult – on purpose, Weiss believed, though that thought remained squarely in her head.

Even without her position as the now-debunked SDC CEO, she meticulously covered her face, beautifying it with precise strokes and cautious, yet firm pats. The amount of money she spent on makeup nowadays dwarfed her younger years, and she hated it just as much as she did then – but it was a necessity. Her time under the media's spotlight taught her someone was always watching, always judging, and Weiss was determined to not let them see her.

The only blemish that remained when she finished was her signature scar, now as much a part of her identity as her off-center ponytail had been. As long as no one scrutinized the dull glare in her blue irises or the admittedly tired shrug of her shoulders that accumulated over the years, she could convince anyone that wasn't Yang or Blake that she was fully functioning.

Ignoring the chill slipping down her spine, Weiss changed out of her nightgown and into a white blouse tucked into light blue jeans, complemented by a long sleeve bolero in a similar shade of blue. She smoothed out any obvious wrinkles, more of an instinct and a way to keep her mind busy than any real reason.

With her motor movements covered, Weiss dipped back into yesterday, her ire drawing from the incessant journalists and reporters that practically clawed like a starving dog for Team RWBY's attention. Was their arrival that important that they – civilians included – dropped everything to see them? They were just four people on a mission like any other Huntsmen and Huntresses.

They were no one special.

Weiss felt her fingers strain from the grip she had on the sink, and removed herself from it, shaking her hand free of the tension. She breathed deeply and closed her eyes, a strategy Winter had taught her to ease her whenever she was anxious.

Adrift in the blackness of her eyelids, Weiss allayed her grievances, swiping them aside like dust bunnies. She took another breath, focused on her mind - let it clear.

 _One more_ , she thought, _one more mission and it's done._

She repeated the mantra, clutching to it like a lifeline. Her body unwound from the bowstring that held her tight.

Inside the abyss, a speck of color stood out. She froze, and she tried to pry open her eyes, only to find them stuck as the twinkle grew larger – a formless haze that slowly grew clarity, amassing brighter colors that made it stand out like a beacon.

It took shape finally, and Weiss realized she had held her breath when she attempted to suck in more air. It bounced back, and her body rumbled with a cough. Twin brown orbs stared back at her, and Weiss belatedly realized that they were identical to the gaze that captured her attention yesterday. Enraptured once more, she studied them. Even the imitation held her so, slipping through the tiniest cracks that she concealed, and again she was vulnerable to the chill that inched down her skin. Her clothes were uncomfortably hot, digging in with the slightest twitch.

Prying her eyes open, she breathed deep, collecting air to rebuild her infrastructure. How could such a simple look rattle her? She was better than that – stronger than that. Nothing could shake her.

After ensuring that her makeup stayed secure, she pinched her nose to rub away the forming headache. Too much happened yesterday for simply arriving into Hirano, and their mission had yet to officially begin. She shook her head, running her hands through her hair. Focusing on such frivolities would do her no good; she needed to keep her head on straight and her eyes forward. Cinder was the goal here.

Body calm and mind stern, Weiss fixed her hair and exited the bathroom, trying to keep her fingers from shaking.

Their hotel room was spacious, able to accommodate four full-size beds and leave enough leg space for all parties – a "gift" as the hotel manager called it for Team RWBY. Thankfully, he did not inquire about Yang's wrath, but the hesitancy when his gaze fell over the brawler was not the least bit subtle. Weiss resisted the urge to pinch her nose again. Word traveled far too quickly for her liking, which would make gathering information that much more bothersome.

"Tough night, Weiss?"

The fencer glanced up from behind her hand, eyeing Blake as she sat up in her bed tucked comfortably against the right corner. Her cat ears remained flat against her head, and the dishevelment of her nightclothes put on full display of her dislike of early mornings. It was one of the few things the two agreed on early in Beacon. Her amber eyes remained half-lidded in amusement, betrayed by the slight glint of concern. Weiss bit a curse back. Of course, Blake noticed – she needed an out.

"The actions of those reporters were deplorable," she grumbled, ignoring the perked brow of her teammate, but before Blake could comment a chuckle drew both of their attentions.

"Agreed," Recca added as he stood from a stretch. His black tank top and dark gray jeans rustled as he shook his limbs. "I don't remember them being so aggressive before I left to become a Huntsman."

He stood close to the wide window placed at the center of the far wall, cracked open to allow the morning breeze through. His trench coat laid haphazardly on his bed in the left corner, providing some breathing room to the fine string of muscles that lined his arms – not as well defined as Yang's, but enough that he clearly performed well in hand-to-hand combat. His glasses remained snug on his face, though, acting as a literal shade to the sun as it peeked through the still closed blinds.

Yang remained enclosed in the thin comforter sheets, slightly curled in and nestled towards the wall, her even and gentle movements acting as an indicator that she remained asleep.

Weiss strode to the kitchenette attached to their room, situated a little lower from hers and Blake's beds. With dexterous hands went about making her coffee.

"Their actions brought about unnecessary difficulty, and now it will be more arduous to get the information we need to find Cinder," she said, screwing her eyes together in a look of concentration. Absentmindedly tossing in extra cream and sugar, she grabbed her coffee and exited the kitchenette.

She squatted down at the small, square wooden coffee table situated at the epicenter of their room. It was plain, barely knee-high, and under it was a hand-knit red and white rug over the brown carpet. A little excessive, she believed, and likely a tack-on by the manager to appease them. Weiss hid a growl behind her mug, a headache forming again.

Blake continued to eye her warily, amber orbs hiding nothing yet somehow expressing nothing – a true call to her cat Faunus nature. Weiss held her ground though; her experience in dealing with shady entrepreneurs and business moguls fortified her defense in exchanging silent information. She managed only leaving a scathing scar on the mug with her nail before Blake pulled herself from her bed and retreated to the bathroom. Another sigh escaped, reverberating through her coffee.

A grunt sounding off in front of her peeled her eyes from her half-drained drink to Recca as he sat across from her. Despite his shades hiding his eyes, and the fascination with his water bottle, Weiss realized she was being watched, so she set her coffee to the side, clasped her hands together against the table, and raised a single brow.

Recca appeared to identify the subtle threat, clearing his throat. "Not a fan of mornings?" he asked.

"Not especially."

"I can agree there." He grinned. "As a child I loved them, but having to get up early at Shade kinda ruined it for me."

Weiss nodded, removing her interlocked hands and resting one against her chin. "Agreed." She sighed. "I thought for once being away from the SDC would help me enjoy them more, but that dream was dashed quickly."

"Why is that?"

Innocuous, unknowing, and completely casual, yet the depths of Weiss' body bristled in ice and jut out like an angry maw, swallowing her in its grasp. Her nails dug into her skin, leaving fresh pink marks along her jawline. A low, sharp whistle echoed behind her ears. Pictures began to form, an outline that Weiss begged not to let complete. She screwed her eyes shut, willing the machinations to dismantle.

Breathing a single, ragged breath, she peeled her eyes open, and stared Recca down, ignoring the pinched feeling along her jaw.

"Classes were very rigorous and I had to focus hard for when I took over the SDC," she said, icicles frosting over her tongue. She lowered her hand, ignoring the tremors that rippled through her muscles, and raised her coffee to take a sip. The sweet taste rolled over her tongue, igniting her taste buds, and she had to bite back a convulsion.

Behind her, the bathroom door creaked open, and Weiss cast her gaze to the corner of her eye. Blake stepped out, now clad in a white shirt with sleeves barely going over her elbows, with tight black finger-less gloves over the length of her exposed arms, black jeans with a purple strip from hip to ankle, a belt holding it tight, and black high heel boots adding to her already intimidating posture.

Weiss felt Blake's gaze on her before the door shut. She faced her coffee again, boring into its sugary depth. The air around her tightened, and the first flickers of her aura sparked.

Her scroll rang, echoing in the small space. Holding in a snarl, she carefully raised herself, leaving the coffee mug on the table, and heard more than felt her arms brushing away the dirt on her jeans.

"I need to take this – it's the VBI," Weiss said evenly, eyeing her clenched hands. "Make sure Yang is awake soon. We have no time to waste." Ignoring the ghostly tendrils that warped her aura, she snapped around, taking long, elegant steps as she exited the room, slamming the door behind her.

Alone in the hallway, nothing but dimly lit carpets and wooden doors stretching out for longer than Weiss hoped was real, she leaned against the wall next to their room. Her aura thrummed in her ears, and she pushed her effort into calming it. Raising her scroll, she caught a jagged red edge at the left corner of her vision, flashing over her chest.

She forced an exhale, clutched her scroll tightly, and answered the call.

* * *

Blake replaced Weiss at the table, sinking to a cross-legged position and pushing the scarred coffee mug away. Recca regarded her with a patient stare behind his glasses, betraying nothing about what occurred.

He held a hand up. "Don't worry, I know I'm oh-for-two on ensuring my spot for this mission."

Blake rolled her eyes, waving down the offending appendage. "I wouldn't go that far. You did get the crowd off of us when we arrived yesterday."

Recca appeared to mull the comment over for a moment, tilting his head to where Yang continued to sleep.

"Only because of what happened with Yang." His tone made up for the lack of ability to see his eyes, tinged with regret.

Blake hesitated, glancing over her former partner's hunched form, and a desire to comfort Yang nearly overwhelmed her. Her hand tingled at the reminder of yesterday, Yang's hand limp in hers.

She coiled her fingers together, ignoring the cool air trapped between her palms. "Don't sell yourself short. We chose you for a reason."

"Yes, because my knowledge of Hirano is coming in handy so far."

Resisting the urge to slam her hands on the table, Blake settled for a scowl instead. After the incident yesterday, her patience was wearing thin, something growing common since the start of their mission. Recca thankfully received the message, a tad bit sheepish as he rubbed the side of his head, running over the indent left by his shades.

"Bad time to joke."

"You think?" Blake said, earning a flinch from Recca.

"My bad," he said, holding his hands up.

Blake sat back, rubbing her fingers against her temples.

"Sorry."

"Don't be," he returned. "I'm sure this is stressful for you – all of you."

Exhaling deeply, as if the words took some of the weight off her shoulders, she dropped her hands onto her pants. She met Recca's eyes, still obscured by the shades, but she could imagine the pity. It made her heart clench. Unable to trust her tongue, she shrugged.

"I got the gist from the headmaster of Shade," he went on. "Not to mention the…" He cut himself off, saving Blake from having to hear the rest.

"We'll see it through," she said, raising her voice over her thoughts. "Cinder needs to be taken down."

Recca nodded, any meaningful message hidden by his glasses.

A rustle drew their attention. Yang shuffled in her bed, more animated than previously. It was sharp, random, followed all by an ever slowly shrinking spine under the covers. After a moment, the movement reversed, and Yang stretched her limbs, toes bumping against the wood. The sensation must have woken her completely, as she quickly sat up, mussy hair lashing everywhere as she shivered.

"Too cold," she murmured, shaking herself free of her confines, revealing her unzipped short-sleeved brown jacket and orange crop top she had on yesterday, as well as her fitting black jeans, specks of dirt from the journey still embedded in the fabric.

Pushing her bangs away, Yang blinked open her eyes, locking her hazy purple gaze onto the two around the table.

"Morning," she yawned more than said. "What time is it?"

Blake tried to speak, only to choke on air. Her throat snatched shut the longer she stared at Yang - the obvious lines under her eyes, the creases in her face where frowns made their home.

"It's close to eight now," Recca supplied. "Weiss is taking a call from the VBI."

Yang's face twisted, wiping away any leftover tiredness. She slung her boot-clad legs off the bed, dragging the blanket with her.

"Of course she is," she spat. "Only forward with her." With more force than necessary, she kicked away the blankets tangled at her feet, stomping into the bathroom.

When the door echoed shut, Blake blinked, focusing back on her hands. Small red spots dotted her palms, while her heels adorned small crescent shapes. The tips of her fingers flushed red, contrasting her pale complexion. With a sigh, she slipped back on her gloves, stretching the fabric until it dug into her skin, hoping to hide the phantom sensations from yesterday.

To admit that Yang hadn't reacted to Blake holding her hand was an affront to their time together. As though Beacon was nothing but a dream, and Blake would wake up under the banner of the White Fang once again, secluded and afraid. Yet she could do nothing but swallow the thought and admit her reality: Ten years was a long time, after all, and Blake wasn't privy to assuming how Yang felt now.

Or what she could do to help her.

She curled her hand lightly, feeling the smooth curve of her fingertips and the blood flow beneath. It was cold – ironic considering the embrace of the fabric – the wrong kind, she realized.

When the bathroom door closed, she jumped. Facing Yang, Blake noticed that she didn't look like she spent more than a few minutes cleaning her face. Small knots remained curled in her hair, split ends hovering into the air. Without her keen eyesight, Blake knew she wouldn't have seen it. Her hand twitched, and she quelled the urge, trying to say something instead.

Weiss entered the room before she could. Blake noted her angled features when she locked eyes with Yang, but remained silent as the door shut.

Keeping a tight grasp on her scroll, Weiss moved to the table, giving a wide berth to Yang.

"I received the data from yesterday," she said, taking a seat on Blake's left. She eyed the coffee mug for a moment, then pushed it away, focusing on their faces of surprise.

Recca sat straighter. "Really? I may be wrong, but that seems fast."

Weiss nodded. "I thought so too. Apparently, they were already working on it when we sent over our data. We helped expedite the process."

"Lucky us," Yang added, seating herself on Blake's right. "What we got?"

A dash of silver flickered through Weiss' eyes. Unlike back in the forest, Blake sensed unease from her, not anger, punctuated by the subtle lip-bite that offset her confident poise from dealing with the journalists yesterday. Her fingers drummed against the table, and its echo filled the room while she found her words.

Then it passed, and Weiss fell into the stoicism from their early days at Beacon.

"Dust infused Grimm."

Unease slipped into Blake from all sides, through every open pore. It settled into her bloodstream and made her shiver. She worked her mouth, testing Weiss' words on her lips, but no matter how much she repeated the phrase, it never sounded any less confusing.

"Grimm?" Yang asked in a low whisper, as though she were questioning it to herself than her companions. "How though? We killed them all – we –"

She stopped herself from continuing, the very line of thought akin to stepping on a landmine. Out of the corner of Blake's eyes, Weiss blinked - seemingly in surprise.

"You don't know?"

Yang faced Weiss, narrowing her eyes.

"I don't know – am I supposed to?"

A familiar chill swept through, and with it, Blake's bafflement at the idea of a "Dust infused Grimm" momentarily forgotten.

Weiss' face tightened up, anything genuine lost behind her eyes as she settled into a glare.

"I suppose not," she said flippantly. "I'm sure you haven't gotten out a lot in the past ten years."

When Yang growled, arching forward as her hands bit into the table, Blake filed through her mind, searching for a topic to get their attention.

"You're talking about the Grimm resurgence in Hirano five years ago, aren't you?"

Yang and Weiss did a double-take, turning to Blake then facing each other again. When no-one said anything, everyone turned to Recca, who frowned contemplatively. He removed his shades and motioned towards Weiss.

For a passing moment, Blake thought she saw relief flash across her face.

"Yes, I am."

Blake perked as what Recca said finally settled in. "I thought that was only a rumor." She flicked her gaze between Recca and Weiss. "It was true?"

At their nods, her heart plummeted. While Cinder's return dampened her hopes of the past staying buried, she had clung to the hope that the Grimm stayed extinct. The idea of their re-emergence brought back memories of the Fall, and the bloodshed by their claws.

"That's a hell of a rumor," Yang murmured. "If it's true though, why would they hide it? After what happened at the Fall, you'd think anything with the Grimm should raise a few flags." Her tone escalated as she went on until it reverted into a growl.

"From what I heard, the situation was handled quickly, and nothing Grimm related has happened since then," Recca explained, keeping his voice calm.

"Yes, cause every time the Grimm have appeared in the past, there's never been a repeat occurrence."

"What he said is true, actually," Weiss intervened. She shrugged off Yang's glare and turned to Recca. "Did whoever told you happen to mention who helped quell the Grimm?"

"Someone by the name of Scarlet Eiha."

"That matches up then," Weiss said, holding her scroll up. "The VBI requested we get into contact with Scarlet since she's been after Cinder longer than us. Her expertise would come in handy, especially if she's the one who helped stopped the uprising five years ago."

That made Blake's ears twitch. The VBI having information on Cinder made sense – it was why they were here, after all – but another person hunting her down raised a few questions.

"Let's go find this 'Scarlet' person then," Yang said, standing up. "I have a few questions to ask her about why she kept a Grimm resurgence a secret." With that, she moved towards the door and stepped out.

"Yang, wait!" Blake called, scrambling to her feet. By the time she reached the door, Yang was too far down the hall to get her attention without alerting other occupants. When she disappeared behind the elevator, Blake grimaced, clenching her outstretched hand in a fist. Her fingers twitched – a phantom wind that made her teeth gnash together.

"We should follow her before she gets us into trouble," Weiss said as she slid by and strode down the hall.

Blake cursed to herself, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Facing Recca as he stood from the table, she flexed the muscles in her cheeks into a small smile.

"Thank you."

Recca raised a brow as he grabbed his coat. "For what?"

"For getting Yang off-topic earlier."

He hummed, clicking his tongue. "No problem." He started down the hallway, then paused, saying, "We'll stop Cinder, Blake." Returning her smile, he put his shades back on and followed Weiss' and Yang's path to the elevator.

Blake watched his back, face falling into a frown. The phantom sensation returned, twisting over her hands and curling around her arms. Taking a deep breath, she closed the door to their room and made her way down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so, um... This wasn't easy to admit on Fanficiton, and it won't be any easier here.
> 
> During some downtime mid-semester, I stumbled across an old White Rose Fanfiction by NobleMETA: Life of a White Rose. I never had a chance to finish reading it, so I decided to go ahead and do so.
> 
> The last chapter was Noble's trip down memory lane, and in it, he discussed the "Old Guard" of RWBY fanfiction - of which my author name was in that list.
> 
> I was surprised - to the point of silence. I had never seen anything before about my writing that left me mystified like that.
> 
> Unfortunately, I can't accept it.
> 
> Like I've mentioned, I have an account on Fanfiction.net, where I started writing. On that account, I have a good few other works that I left unfinished. Those stories, with two to three chapters of unexplored joy and fun, are the reason I can't accept being part of the Old Guard.
> 
> I was specifically in the list of authors who left RWBY fanfiction - those who, for one reason or another, stopped writing, more than likely leaving plenty of works unfinished. That was true, but I'm back now, and since I am, I can't say I deserve to be part of that list. I won't discuss what I personally think of my writing, but I will say that if you go look at that list for yourself, I can guarantee you'll find something more fulfilling than my works - unquestionably.
> 
> Again, this is not a knock on my writing. That is unfair for me, you, and those authors. What I mean is that you'll find something that has had more thought put into those chapters than my older stories, like A Faunus Rising, or Unknown Powers - those that never got off the ground.
> 
> I have no one to blame but myself. Part of my issue was and is still my insecurity. I rarely branched out to other authors, or people who could beta read my stuff. I was an introverted teenager who was afraid of criticism. To those I did branch out to and talk to, I royally screwed up, and to those people, I'm so, so sorry for my mistakes. I would like to believe I've learned since then, yet I'm still extremely shy. With the success of Discord, plenty of RWBY fanfiction servers exist that I can join, yet my hesitance continues to haunt me.
> 
> I want to atone for my mistakes of the past, not only personal issues, but writing as well - I want to succeed where I failed, and try and learn and be more open than I was before, which is why I can't accept being put aside other RWBY fanfiction authors of a much greater caliber than I ever was. I want to prove that Noble putting me there wasn't a mistake by creating and finishing a story I can be proud of and, come hell or high water, put it out there for people to critique, read, and enjoy.
> 
> To all of you who have read this so far, thank you. It warms my heart until it's hotter than the sun in the middle of July. No, I'm not sorry for that joke. Yes, I am listening to "I Burn" as I type this.
> 
> Alright, that's more than enough out of me from now. Again, thank you all. I know we're only five chapters in so far, but it still makes me happy to see people reading this. I hope I can continue to deliver.
> 
> Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year everyone!. :)


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